diff --git a/drivers/stdin/stdin.c b/drivers/stdin/stdin.c
index 6a621156..9baecb3a 100644
--- a/drivers/stdin/stdin.c
+++ b/drivers/stdin/stdin.c
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #include <metalsvm/fs.h>
 #include <metalsvm/spinlock.h>
 #include <asm/kb.h>
+#include <metalsvm/tasks.h>
+
 
 /* Implementation of a simple stdin device */
 
diff --git a/kernel/syscall.c b/kernel/syscall.c
index ff105ecb..7c0ce5b5 100644
--- a/kernel/syscall.c
+++ b/kernel/syscall.c
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ static int sys_write(int fd, const char *buf, size_t len)
 		(uint8_t*)buf, len);
 }
 
-static int sys_open(const char* file, int flags, int mode)
+static int sys_open(const char* fname, int flags, int mode)
 {
 	int fd;
-	if (!findnode_fs((char*) file)) {
+	fildes_t* file = NULL;
+	if (!findnode_fs((char*) fname)) {
 		if (flags & O_CREAT) {
 			//create file, not implemented yet
 		}
@@ -48,9 +49,10 @@ static int sys_open(const char* file, int flags, int mode)
 
 	for (fd = 3; fd < NR_OPEN; fd++) {
 		if (per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].node == NULL) {
-			per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].node = findnode_fs((char*) file);
-			per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].mode = mode;
-			per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].flags = flags;
+			file = &(per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd]);
+			file->node = findnode_fs((char*) fname);
+			file->mode = mode;
+			file->flags = flags;
 		} 
  	}
 	if (fd >= NR_OPEN) {
@@ -64,9 +66,12 @@ static int sys_open(const char* file, int flags, int mode)
 
 static int sys_close(int fd)
 {
-	close_fs(per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].node);
-	per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].node = NULL;
-	per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].offset = 0;
+	fildes_t* file = &(per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd]);
+	close_fs(file->node);
+	file->node = NULL;
+	file->offset = 0;
+	file->mode = 0;
+	file->flags = 0;
 	return 0;
 
 }
@@ -80,24 +85,25 @@ static int sys_read(int fd, const char *buf, size_t len)
 static int sys_lseek(int fd, off_t pos, int origin)
 {
 	int ret = -EINVAL;
+	fildes_t* file = &(per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd]);
 
-	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].node->type != FS_FILE
-			&& per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].node->type != FS_CHARDEVICE, 0));
+	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(file->node->type != FS_FILE 
+			&& file->node->type != FS_CHARDEVICE, 0));
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	switch(origin) 
 	{	
 	case SEEK_SET: {	/* set file offset to offset */
-			per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].offset = pos;
+			file->offset = pos;
 			ret = 0;
 			break;
 		}
 	case SEEK_CUR: {	/* set file offset to current plus offset */
-			ret = pos + per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].offset;
+			ret = pos + file->offset;
 			break;
 		}
 	case SEEK_END: {	/* set file offset to EOF plus offset */
-			per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].offset = pos + per_core(current_task)->fildes_table[fd].node->block_size;
+			file->offset = pos + file->node->block_size;
 			ret = 0;
 			break;
 		}
@@ -157,10 +163,10 @@ int syscall_handler(uint32_t sys_nr, ...)
 			break;
 		}
 	case __NR_open: {
-			const char* file = va_arg(vl, const char*);
+			const char* fname = va_arg(vl, const char*);
 			int flags = va_arg(vl, int);
 			int mode = va_arg(vl, int);
-			ret = sys_open(file, flags, mode);
+			ret = sys_open(fname, flags, mode);
 			break;
 		}
 	case __NR_close: {